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Extreme Optical Anisotropy in the Type-II Dirac Semimetal NiTe<sub>2</sub> for Applications to Nanophotonics
Several bulk transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit
a strong
optical anisotropy, high refractive index, and even a natural hyperbolic
response, which are enabling ingredients in a variety of nanophotonic
scenarios of great interest. Here, we investigate the electromagnetic
response of NiTe2, a type-II Dirac semimetal, whose infrared/optical
properties have been hitherto largely unexplored. Through density-functional-theory-based
ab initio modeling, along with electron energy loss spectroscopy experiments,
we show that NiTe2 exhibits a varied, extremely anisotropic
response within the infrared and visible ranges. We also demonstrate
the high tunability of its optical properties and illustrate the key
role played by Dirac fermions. Our results pave the way for realizing
nanophotonic devices for efficient light manipulation at subwavelength
scales